FAQ

  • What is LGO?
    • MIT Leaders for Global Operations is a 24-month dual degree MS/MBA program between MIT’s School of Engineering and Sloan School of Management. We work with 20+ industry partner companies to provide research internships, fellowships and recruit graduates into high-tech roles. Our graduates have the technical, analytical, and business skills needed to lead strategic initiatives bridging business with technology to solve global problems. We partner with seven departments to offer our students a broad range of engineering research areas.
  • Do LGOs only focus on studying operations or manufacturing?
    • No, LGOs study a broad array of areas bringing together business and technology. Historically, LGO was founded to revitalize manufacturing but has since grown to be a much more encompassing program. Operations is a featured part of the coursework as it is an underlying foundation to problem solving within industry. Many of our students focus on a specific area of operations such as supply chain, analytics, manufacturing, sustainability, robotics, etc. but each student defines their own interests and approach to their leadership and career goals.
  • What are some examples of jobs LGOs pursue after graduating?
    • Some job titles for recent LGO graduates have been: Supply Chain and Logistics Manager, Business Operations Manager, COO/Founder, Director of Product Development, Consultant, Senior Manager of Operations Analytics, Program Manager of Cloud Infrastructure, Manager of Digital Transformation, Product Manager, Manager of Industrial Channels, Sr. Operations Engineer. 80% of recent graduates found jobs through LGO/Sloan resources.
  • What is the best way to learn more about the program?
  • What is the duration of the LGO Program, and when does it start?
    • The program is a full 24 months and begins in early June each year.
  • How do I choose a department?
    • We partner with seven different departments to offer a wide array of engineering specializations and research areas. Each department has different admissions review processes, requirements, and academic background expectations. Reviewing the department pages on our website can give insight into what individual departments are looking for in candidates. Our partner departments are: 
    • Some departments, like Chemical Engineering or the Operations Research Center, are looking for specific backgrounds and coursework, but most of our departments are more flexible and interested in diverse STEM backgrounds. Many of our students use the dual degree to pivot into a new field of study. While specializations like sustainability, robotics, manufacturing, and analytics can be studied in several of these departments, it helps to look into classes you want to take and faculty you want to work with to better understand where your particular interests lay. Reviewing past internship projects and seeing what departments students were in can also shed light on what kind of research you can do in each subject area.
  • How is the curriculum structured?
    • The program begins in June each year and the first three months are the LGO Summer Core, a mix of foundational engineering, management, and leadership coursework. In the fall, LGOs are fully integrated into Sloan’s MBA Core. The six month research internship starts in either February or June of the first year. The remaining two semesters on campus are spent completing a mix of business electives and engineering courses depending on the individual student’s engineering department and interests. The Master’s thesis is based on research conducted during the internship at one of our partner companies, and completed in the second year. You can see an example of the curriculum layout on our Program Timeline.
  • How is the management and engineering coursework balanced?
    • LGOs take a mix of business and engineering courses throughout their two years. Each engineering department has different requirements, and each student’s course plan is guided by the LGO program office and an engineering advisor. While LGOs have many requirements, course selection is flexible and largely based on individual goals and interests. LGOs take 8-12 management classes and 5-6 engineering classes. Engineering courses tend to be heavier investments in terms of time spent on work outside of class and in class units.
  • How are students matched with internship projects?
    • After the completion of Summer Company Days and during the LGO Summer Core, a survey designed by the student committee is sent the class to determine what companies they might be interested in working with and what kind of projects they are interested in working on. This information is shared with the partner companies who generate projects based on this survey and their own business needs. 
    • The list of projects is posted to the class, who then interview for projects that catch their interest. Students can interview for several projects, based on whatever criteria is important to them. Students rank the projects they interviewed for, companies rank the students who interviewed with them for a project, and that information is fed into a matching algorithm. 
    • All students are guaranteed an internship. Some partner companies and some projects have restrictions on what candidates they can offer an internship to, based on company policies such as a specific engineering background, minimum years of experience, citizenship status, and availability for hire after graduation.
  • Are LGO internships only through LGO partner companies?
    • Yes, all LGO internships are through our 20+ industry partner companies. All internships are sourced through the LGO Program office and the internship matching process is managed by LGO staff and a student committee.
  • Are there international internships?
    • Yes, every year we have a handful of internships that are located abroad.
  • Are there internships located in Boston?
    • Yes, every year there are some internships located in the Boston area. If you are looking to not relocate for six months, location is one consideration during the internship interview and matching process. Most LGOs will relocate for the duration of their internship.
  • Are there internship choice limitations for international students?
    • Not all internships will be open to international students.
  • Are internships determined by a student’s engineering department?
    • Sometimes. Some projects are open to various departments and are considered “open market”. Some projects are for students in specific disciplines or with specific skill sets, or are “closed market” projects.
  • How does the internship relate to the Master’s Thesis?
    • The required MS thesis is based on the research internship that you will complete at a partner company. As an integrative experience, the actual internship and thesis project you select will encompass both management and engineering perspectives.  
  • How/when do students get thesis advisors?
    • You will have two advisors; one from the Sloan School of Management and one from the School of Engineering. 
    • During the semester that precedes your internship, you will further define the internship scope and the LGO program office will help you to find the right faculty fit in this process.
    • Some internships already have an advisor assigned to them; when you express preferences for those projects, you also will be signing up for a particular advisor. Some students have faculty advisors assigned at admission (e.g. AeroAstro and CEE).
  • How many students do you enroll each year?
    • Each LGO cohort consists of 45-50 students.
  • What is the current class profile of LGO students?
    • The current LGO classes come from a variety of places, industries, and backgrounds. You can learn more about our students from the Meet our Students and Class Profile pages.
  • How do LGO students get involved in the MIT community?
    • All of the career resources, clubs and extracurricular opportunities available at Sloan, and the School of Engineering, as well as the greater MIT community are available to LGO students. This includes the option to obtain roles as Teaching Assistants, lead campus clubs and organizations, participate in case competitions, hackathons, and conferences, play on intramural sports teams, and explore opportunities at the Sloan Sustainability Initiative, the Martin Center for Entrepreneurship, MIT delta v, MIT Sandbox, The Engine, etc.
  • What kind of resources are there for LGO Significant Others (SOs) or LGO students with families?
  • Should I apply to the LGO Program? How can I determine if I am qualified for the program?
    • We look for candidates with a STEM background and approximately 2 to 10 years of full-time work experience. Candidates best suited for the program have high leadership potential, strong technical problem solving skills, and a curiosity to solve problems at the intersection of business and technology. MIT is a collaborative and innovative environment, where students who want to take a hands-on approach to learning will thrive.
  • What undergrad degrees would make me admissible to LGO?
    • Any prior STEM designated degree or extensive STEM coursework would make a candidate admissible to LGO.
  • Can bootcamp certifications fulfill the STEM degree requirement? 
    • No, LGO requires a prior STEM degree or extensive undergraduate/graduate STEM coursework and does not accept bootcamp credit as a replacement.
  • How many years of work experience is required for LGO?
    • Having a successful career track is an important part of your application to the program. On average, students work about 5 years before coming to LGO, however candidates with at least one year and up to ten years of full-time work experience are eligible.
    • We very rarely accept students with less than two years of post-graduate experience, as applicants with some industry experience tend to be more competitive. If you are currently in undergrad, you might also be interested in the Sloan MBA Early Admissions program. Undergraduate seniors can apply for early admission and deferral to the Sloan MBA program, and then work for 3 to 5 years before matriculating. If accepted for Sloan early admission, you can then apply for LGO the fall before you plan to matriculate.
    • If you have more than 10 years of work experience, we would recommend that you look into the MIT Sloan Fellows MBA program.
  • Does graduate education and/or assistantships count as full-time work experience?
    • While graduate education and research experience can strengthen an application and can offer a valuable and diverse perspective, it is not considered full-time work experience.
  • How do I apply to the LGO Program?
    • To apply to LGO, you apply with ONE application through the Sloan School of Management application portal. You can learn more about the process on our Application Directions page.
  • How are re-applicants regarded in the admissions process?
    • Re-applicants tend to do well in the admissions process, as they can reflect on ways to further strengthen their last application. There is also a section of the application that asks, if you are a re-applicant, what has changed. This is typically a few sentences or a paragraph highlighting any achievements or areas of growth from the previous year. While we cannot give specific feedback on past applications, we are happy to answer any specific questions you have as a re-applicant, and we take a candidate’s continued commitment to LGO very seriously. 
  • Am I eligible if I already have an MS in Engineering?
    • Yes. Many of our students hold a prior MS in Engineering before attending LGO. They are often highly technical professionals looking to pivot into a new field of engineering research. As long as the applicant is not applying for an MS degree in the engineering subject they already have an MS degree in, they are considered admissible to LGO.
  • Why is there only 1 application round for the 2023-2024 admission cycle?
    • In the past, due to the application review process that varies across each engineering department, only a small portion of applicants were admitted in Round 1 compared to Round 2. We anticipate that one application round will provide a more streamlined process for LGO candidates in receiving their admission decision.
  • Do I need to submit two applications, one to Sloan and one to the School of Engineering?
    • No, LGO applicants submit ONE application. Students apply through the MIT Sloan School of Management. You can learn more on our Application Directions.
  • Can I apply to more than one engineering department? 
    • You can only apply to one engineering department through LGO in a cycle. Very occasionally, if a candidate may be a better fit for a department different to that which they applied, LGO admissions will reach out to discuss the possibility of transferring their application to be considered for another engineering department. 
    • An admitted LGO candidate is admitted to the specific engineering department they applied to and only that department. When an applicant has been admitted and has accepted our offer of admission, they cannot switch to a new engineering department.
  • Are people who graduated from MIT at an advantage or disadvantage for admission?
    • While MIT graduates receive the same LGO application review process as any other candidate, graduates from MIT who are interested in LGO are often great candidates because they are familiar with the experiential and innovative learning culture at MIT. 
  • Can taking prerequisite courses increase my chances of admission?
    • Each engineering department varies, however some do encourage candidates to complete coursework to further strengthen their application. Please contact LGO admissions at lgo@mit.edu to learn more.
  • When are applications due?
    • The 2024/25 application for the LGO Class of 2027 will open in late July 2024. The application deadline is early November, 2024.
  • How will I be notified of my admissions decision?
    • You will receive an email notifying you of a decision letter released within the application portal.
  • Is an interview a required component of the application process?
    • Yes, interviews will be scheduled by invitation only, after an initial evaluation of a complete application. We only interview a select number of candidates who apply and receiving an invitation to interview does not guarantee admission to the program.
  • I have multiple bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Which GPA is considered?
    • Both GPAs are considered along with the coursework completed.
  • What if my school’s grading system is not on a 4.0 scale? How does the Admissions Committee review international coursework? Should I have my grades converted to the U.S. equivalency?
    • You can submit your GPA as is. Please do NOT convert your grades from your previous studies into percentages or other grading scales. We work with applications from all over the world, and review transcripts with a variety of grading scales.
  • Do you accept transfer credits or grant course waivers?
    • We do not accept transfer credit or grant course waivers.
  • Can I submit corrections or updates to my application after submitting it?
    • Yes, if you have any updates to your application after submission, you can email those updates to lgo@mit.edu and we will attach the updates to your application.
  • Can I send additional materials to accompany my application?
    • We recommend applicants do not provide any additional material outside what the application lists.
  • Will you consider a GRE/GMAT score if the exam was taken after the deadline date?
    • Yes, if you take a test after submitting your application you can email your updated test scores to lgo@mit.edu and we will add them to your application. Please send any test scores within two weeks after the application deadline in order to add the scores to your application materials.
  • What are the requirements for the recommendation letters?
    • We require two letters of recommendation, one professional and one technical, with the option of submitting a third additional technical recommendation letter.
    • The professional letter should come from someone who is familiar with your work experience, ideally a supervisor. Examples of recommenders for the technical reference include a previous professor, a manager or senior colleague who is in a technical role such as chief engineer or data scientist. We prefer and encourage an academic source when possible.
  • What is the format of the letters of recommendation? Are the technical letters of recommendation different from the professional?

    • All LGO recommenders are sent the same format for letters with the addition of two technical prompts that are specific to the technical recommenders, which the professional recommender does not need to answer (unless they want to, more information is always welcome!) It is up to you to communicate to your technical recommenders that they are expected to answer these prompts, and we encourage you to share the additional technical questions with your technical recommenders before they start their letter. The technical prompts are:

      1. Please give an example of an engineering/technical project or challenge that the applicant faced, and the resources they used in addressing it.
      2. Assess this applicant’s ability to continue graduate education in an engineering field, based on your observations of how this candidate addresses advanced technical coursework and problems.

       

  • What is the video statement used for? What is best practice for the video statement?
    • The 60-second video statement is designed to bring more dimension to your application, and share your personality in an interactive way with the admissions committee. In the application, we ask you to introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and explain why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree. The video does not have to be formal, we just ask that you shoot the video in one take (no editing) and speak directly into the camera. We love watching the video statements, but please remember to be mindful of background noise as we want to see and hear you clearly.
  • Do you offer waivers for the application fee?
    • You may be eligible for a fee waiver if any of the following apply:
      1. LGO Alumna/alumnus Referral
      2. Current Teach for America Members or Alumni
      3. Veteran or Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel
      4. Paying the application fee will result in insurmountable financial hardship
    • In addition to the list above, attendees of some recruitment events and conferences where MIT Sloan/LGO is present may qualify for an application fee waiver. If you are in attendance at one of these events, you will be notified at the conclusion of the event and the payment section of your application will reflect the waiver automatically. You do NOT need to submit a request through the form.

  • What tests are required for admission?
    • We accept either the GMAT or GRE.
    • Standardized tests, specifically the GMAT and GRE are a critical component of the application and play an important role in our holistic evaluation process. The MIT Sloan Admissions Committee expects that you will submit a GMAT or GRE score to be reviewed as part of your application. Both the remote and in-person versions of these exams are accepted with no preference. If your current situation prevents you from being able to submit a test score, you may request a test waiver explaining the situation; the Admissions Committee will take your request under advisement and let you know if the waiver has been approved. If the waiver is approved, and you are admitted, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to offer conditional admission such as but not limited to receiving a certain score on the GMAT or GRE or taking a supplemental class. To request a test waiver, please start your application and navigate to the Test Scores section and fill out the test waiver request form; once submitted, you will receive a response as soon as possible.

    • We will accept self-reported test scores by the application deadline, and welcome either the traditional or online version of exams. Official scores should be sent using the following school codes:

      To share your GMAT score, please enter Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – MIT Sloan School of Management
      GRE School Code: 3791

  • Do you require TOEFL or other English language proficiency test scores?
    • No, LGO does not ask for the TOEFL or other English language tests.
  • I’ve taken the GRE/GMAT multiple times; which score does the admissions committee consider?
    • If you submit more than one set of test scores, admissions will look at the highest cumulative score.
  • Do you have a minimum score requirement for the GRE or GMAT?
    • No, there are no minimum test scores that would disqualify an applicant, as we read each application holistically. You can see the average scores of our current LGO students on our Class Profile.
  • What if my GRE/GMAT score is lower than your range?
    • We review each application holistically and the test score is only one of many factors we consider when reviewing. Do not be discouraged if your score is below the range or average, as each part of an application is carefully taken into account, and there is no one piece of an application that will make or break an admissions decision.
  • Aside from my academic background and GRE/GMAT, is there another way to demonstrate quantitative proficiency in my application?
    • Another component of your application that can demonstrate quantitative skills is the technical recommendation which should address your approach to problem solving through analytical and technical mindset. 
  • How much does the LGO Program cost?
    • Tuition for the full two-year program is the same as MIT Sloan’s MBA price. Before financial aid, tuition is currently estimated to be approximately $161K for the full two-year program. You can learn more about the costs of the MIT LGO program on our Financial Aid and Costs page.
  • What types of scholarships and financial aid are available for the LGO program?
    • With the generous support of our partner companies and alumni, the LGO program awards over $5 million in fellowships and scholarships to each incoming class. All admitted students who are not fully funded by an outside source are awarded a generous fellowship and considered for additional scholarship funds. On average, the LGO Fellowship covers at least half of total tuition for the two years. The fellowship is distributed throughout the two-year program, and is applied toward the program’s tuition costs or as a stipend. LGO communicates the total financial aid package together with the acceptance letter.
  • Is financial aid available to non-U.S. citizens?
    • Students typically finance their education through fellowship/scholarships, savings, loans, government employer sponsor or some combination of these. The LGO Fellowship is granted to all admitted LGO students and international students can additionally qualify for private loans. The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) also offers excellent resources for additional fellowships and scholarships that are sponsored by organizations outside of MIT LGO and Sloan.
  • When should I apply for financial aid?
  • Can I pursue Teaching Assistant-ships and Research Assistant-ships while at LGO?
    • Unlike a regular MIT engineering graduate student, LGOs are not primarily funded through department assistantships, but students can be a TA if they are interested in the experience and want to work more closely with a faculty member in either Sloan or the School of Engineering. TA-ships are more common than RA-ships due to the time constraints of a dual degree. Around 1/3 of LGOs become a TA during their two years at MIT.
    • Compensation depends on the nature of the TA-ship and the amount of time you are committing to the course. ​​A 100% appointment roughly equates to an average of 20 hours/week and you cannot pursue a TA position until after your first fall MBA Core semester.